Method of treating leather



Aug. 19, 1930. s, R 1,773,089

METHOD OF TREATING- LEATHER Filed June 14; 1927 Patented Ae 19, 1930 v1,773,089

UNI-TED STATES: PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARDS. AYRES, or roar 'rrxoms, KENT CKY" METHOD OF TREATING LEATHER IA pplicationfiled June 14, 1927. Serial. No. 198,739.

My present invention is a novel and imwas not desired, particularly onladies shoes, proved method of treating leather, and other whereinstrips, cutouts, buttonholes, and the shoe fabrics. I like attractiveand fancy designs are utilized.

An important object of the present in-- My present invention eliminatesand disvention is to so treat such leather or other places the use ofall these prior reinforcing 55 shoe fabrics as to plump up, and increasematerials, since, by the use of a compound the body and the firmness ofthe same. To such as above described, the body and firmaccomplish thisdesirable result, I utilize a ness of the leather or the like isincreased and flexible, tough and penetrating compound, plumped up, thuspreventing stretching of 19 and for this purpose I have discovered thatthe leather at or adjacent to'the point thus 0 a compound, consisting ofa commercial treated, and since the compound utilized is lacquer andnitrocellulose compounds, is best a penetrating compound, a sufficientreinadapted. I do not, however, wish to limit forcement through theleather or other fabmyself to the use of such a specific compound, ric,at the point desired, is obtained.

but may utilize other compounds, if the same When utilizing my presentmethod for 65 will produce the beneficial results desired. reinforcingportions of leather only. such The use of such a compound will preventas for straps or cutouts, it is not necessary stretching of the leatheror other shoe fabric, to treat the entire piece of leather, and thereandin this manner will tighten the grain. of fore such treating methodmaybe carried out the leather, d will also increase the avail onlyadjacent those parts of the leather which able cuttingi i'ea. A are tobe subsequently cutout, or perforated.

To obtain the best results, I find that such I believe that my presentmethod of thus com ound should be a plied to the unfintreating leatheror other shoe fabrics, is ished, or flesh side, of leather, hides skins,novel, and I have therefore claimed the same and other shoe fabrics.Also, such penebroadly herein. A L 1 J trating and tough compound can beapplied Further features of the invention, details either prior tocutting, or subsequent to cutand advantages, will be hereinafter moreting, depending upon the class or type of fully ,ointed out and claimed.

work for which the leather or other fabric Re erring to the drawings,illustrating a is to be utilized. Such compound may b preferredembodiment of the present inven- 80 applied to the material in anydesired mantion,

ner, such, as by spraying the same on, ap- Fig. 1 isa "plan view of.askin or hide,

plying the compound by use of a brush, a treated before cutting;

sponge, or a cloth, ormay be directly applied Fig. 2 is a plan view of astrap portion of by afstamping pad. a shoe upper cut therefrom;

"' A further feature of the present invention Fig. 3 is a plan view of astrap portion of a consists in the applying of such a tough, shoe uppertreated, after cutting, at predeflexible and penetratin compound to par-.termined portions;

ticular portions of leat or or other fabrics. Fig. 4 is a plan view ofthe strap portion 4'.) Heretofore, when strengthening or reinforcof.Fig. 3- subsequent to the cutting or perfo- 90 ing particular portionsof leather, such as rating operations; and a in bbots and shoes, thestrips, cutouts, but- Fig. 5 is a cross'sectional view illustratingtonholes, and the like,-many different mathe leather penetrated orimpregnated with terials have been utilized, such as paper, thestrengthening. and reinforcing comleather, linen, cotton, tufsta, orsimilar matepound.

rials. However, the addition of this rein- As shown in the drawings, thehide 1 has force-ment necessarily resulted in forming a been sprayed,brushed, sponged,or otherwise 7 laminated material, with more than asingle treated with a flexible and penetrating comlayer, and thisconsequently resultedin a pound, as at 2. Preferably this compound bulkyand unwieldly portion, where such bulk consists of-a commercial lacquerand nitrocellulose compounds. From the hide, as thus treated, and asshown in Fi 1, may be out various portions or parts shoe materials, ormaterials for other uses, 3 illusrating the strap portionof a shoeupper. When treating the leather, the compound is applied, in thepresent-instance to the flesh or unfinished side of the material, since,in this particular process, it is desired to have the compound penetratethe leather, to securethe advanta eous features desired.

11 Fig. 3 is illustrated the strap portion 4 of a shoe upper which hasbeen cut'from an untreated hide, and subsequent to such cutting has beentreated at the points illustrated at 5 and 6 with a compound as abovedescribed; Subsequent to this treating, the

I strap portion is then subjected to cutting ogerations, to cut theperforations or cutouts and the buttonhole 8. By thus treating theseportions of the strap piece, the body of the leather surrounding partsto be cut out is so strengthened and reinforced that a separatereinforcement, such as paper, leather, cloth or other separate layer, isnot required. The addition of such reinforcing piece has been adisadvantage, and has also been an unsatisfactory method of reinforcingthese portions of shoe materials. 1 y

It will be apparent that a strap portion, as

illustrated at, 4, for example, when treated plied on the unfinished orflesh side of said materialL The advantages of my novel process will beinstantly apparent to those skilled in this art, and I do not limit theuse of my novel process to shoe leathers or materials, since it willhave a wide range of application in all fields or arts where a similarresult is desired to be obtained.

Also, while I have described the compound preferably utilized, asconsistin of commercial lacquer and nitrocellulose, am not limitedthereto, but may utilize any tough, flex-- ible, and penetratingcompound, which will produce the advantage above outlined.

My invention is further described and defined in the form of claims asfollows 1. In the manufacture of leather articles the step of applyingto the flesh side of por tions of the articles which must sustainstresses greater than the other portions thereof a tough, strengtheningand penetrating compound which will not increase the thickness of theleather.

2. In the manufacture of leather articles the steps of applying to theflesh side of portions of the articles which must sustain stressesgreater than the other portions thereof a tough, strengthening andpenetrating compound which will not increase the thickness of theleather, andthen subjecting said treated portions to a cutting operationto produce desired shapes or designs.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

' RICHARD S. AYRES.

